Question

assessment questions

1. what is the central idea of the text?

a. after inventing the christmas tree in 1882, edward hibberd johnson became a key figure in holiday celebrations.
b. edward hibberd johnson helped pioneer the tradition of electric christmas lights at a time when electricity was still rare.
c. like most christmas traditions, decorating trees with electric christmas lights is an ancient custom with its origins in europe.
d. the practice of using electric lights on christmas trees began with president cleveland putting the first set on the white house tree in 1894.

Explanation:

To determine the central idea, we analyze each option:

• Option A: The Christmas tree was not invented by Edward Hibberd Johnson in 1882 (Christmas trees existed before), so A is incorrect.
• Option B: Edward Hibberd Johnson is known for pioneering electric Christmas lights, and during his time, electricity was rare. This aligns with the likely central idea about his role in this holiday tradition.
• Option C: Decorating trees with electric Christmas lights is not an ancient custom (electricity is modern), so C is wrong.
• Option D: The first electric lights on a White House tree were not put by President Cleveland in 1894 in the way described (or this is not the central idea), and the key figure in pioneering electric Christmas lights is Johnson, not Cleveland for this act.

Answer:

B. Edward Hibberd Johnson helped pioneer the tradition of electric Christmas lights at a time when electricity was still rare.